The present invention relates to a seat slide device, and more particularly, to a vehicular seat slide device.
A vehicle is provided with a seat slide device capable of moving a movable seat in a front-rear direction and locking the movable seat at an appropriate position.
Patent Document 1 discloses a seat slide device for a vehicle that includes a first seat, a second seat and a third seat in this order from front, and the seat slide device allows the second seat and the third seat to be moved on common rails, which extend in a front-rear direction and are fixed to the vehicle floor. In the seat slide device of Patent Document 1, it is possible to move the third seat to a position in the vicinity of the first seat along the rails by removing the second seat. Patent Document 1 has an advantage that the third seat can be moved to a range where the second seat existed.
Patent Document 2 discloses a seat slide device capable of moving a front passenger seat and rear seats along common lower rails which extend in a front-rear direction and are fixed to a vehicle floor. According to the seat slide device of Patent Document 2, it is possible to move the front passenger seat to a range where the rear seats has existed in a state where the rear seats are moved to rear ends of the lower rails. The front passenger seat is configured to move to a range where the rear seats have been arranged and to be locked by a lock portion at an appropriate position in this range. Patent Document 2 makes it possible to move the front passenger seat to the range where the rear seats have been arranged so that moving properties of the front passenger seat and occupant comfort are improved.
In Patent Document 2, on the lower rails, a range corresponding to the moving range of the driver's seat is defined as a range A, a range corresponding to the moving range of the seat arranged behind the driver's seat is defined as a range B, and a range where the rear seat arranged behind the front passenger seat can move toward the vehicle trunk so that the rear seat can retract is defined as a range C.
In Patent Document 2, the front passenger seat can largely be moved rearward. That is, the front passenger seat can be moved in a wide range including the range A and the range B. In this case, even if an occupant desires to move the front passenger seat to a rear end of the range A in a state where the occupant sits on the front passenger seat, which is arranged in the range A, there is a possibility that the front passenger seat is moved to the range B while mistakenly largely exceeding the range A if the lock portion is unlocked to move the front passenger seat rearward. In this case, the occupant who sits on the front passenger seat needs to return the front passenger seat to the front range A.
In contrast, even if the occupant desires to forwardly move the front passenger seat to the front end of the range B in a state where the front passenger seat is arranged in the range B of the rear seat, there is a possibility that the occupant moves the front passenger seat forward while mistakenly largely exceeding the range B. In this case, it is necessary for the occupant who sits on the front passenger seat to again return the front passenger seat rearward.
Patent Document 1 is not designed for a case in which the movable seat is moved in a state where an occupant is sitting thereon, and does not propose any method for solving the above presented problems.